Convertible container and closure therefor



June 2, 1953 s. NEWELL 2,640,626

CONVERTIBLE CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed Feb. 8, 1950 IN VEN TOR.

STEPHENS NEWELL BY flmw ATTORNEY,

. Patentecl June 2, 1953 CONVERTIBLE CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Stephens Newell, Mentor, Ohio Application February 8, 1950, Serial No. 143,004 2 Claims. (01. 220-40) This invention relates to containers such as are used for jams, cheeses, preserves, beverages and other foods, and more specifically to such containers which, when emptied. of. their contents, can be utilized as beverage glasses.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide a container and closure therefor, which closure can be utilized as both a coaster and a jacket for the container when it is utilized as a beverage glass.

Another object of my invention is to provide a container and closure of the character described, which can easily and quickly be sealed.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a container and closure of the character described, which is inexpensive to manufacture and is attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a container and closure embodying the features of my invention, a portion thereof being broken away to show certain details of structure.

Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the container and closure as they appear when the closure is utilized as a coaster and jacket.

Fig. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing the manner of interengagement of the container and the closure.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view, taken as indicated by line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view illustrating still another form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1-4 of the drawings, the invention is seen to comprise a cylindrical container 1 which is usually and preferably formed of glass, although it could likewise be made of metal or plastic. The container has a suitable bottom 2 and has open end or mouth 3.

The interior surface 4 of the container I may be angularly inclined as illustrated, however, the exterior surface 5 is substantially straight or vertical. It will be understood, however, that the exterior surface 5 could likewise be angularly inclined so that the container I would be frustoconical in form, the largest diameter being at the mouth thereof.

On the exterior surface 5 of the container I are provided a group of circumferentially spaced cams 6 which extend or project radially outwardly from the surface. I have shown four of such cams although a lesser or greater number could be employed. These cams correspond to'and function similarly .to a multipleinterrupted screw thread.

Each of the cams 6 is in the form of an angularly inclined ridge of semi-circular cross-section, and for purposes of this description, the lower or undersurfaceof the ridge or cam will be. designated by numeral'l. and the upperv surface will be designated bythe numeral 8.

.The cams may lie at an angle of from five to fifteen degrees to the diametrical planeof the container, this angle depending somewhat on the length of the cam 6 and the nature of the materials employed.

It is, however, of critical importance in my invention that the median point of the ridge or cam 6 be located longitudinally midway between the top and bottom of the container so that. one end of the cam lies above the mid-point'and the other end of the cam lies below the mid-point of the container. For purposes of clarity, I will refer to the end of the cam which lies above the mid-point as the upper end, and will refer to the other end thereof as the lower end.

The container l is provided with a cover or closure 9 of cylindrical form which may be formed of any suitable material but which I have illustrated as being made of a synthetic resin. The

closure is provided with a closed end or top [0 from which depends an annular flange ll which forms the wall or skirt of the closure.

Seated against the top IU of the closure 9 is'a sealing ring or gasket l2 which may be formed of some compressible material such as cork or rubber. The gasket liesintermediate the top ID of the closure and the mouth 3 of the container I, and serves to prevent spillage or leakage or deterioration of the contents of the container when the closure is secured thereto.

The skirt of the closure may be made of any length commensurate with the function which is performed by it, and normally will extend to at least the mid-point of the container, although it may be longer.

On the interior surface of the flange II and preferably formed integrally therewith are a plurality of circumferentially spaced inwardly projecting lugs H which in number and spacing correspond to the cams 6 on the container I. As best seen in Fig. 4, the lugs 13 are each provided with a fiat annular surface It which is inclined to the diametrical plane of the container l at the same angle as that of the cams 8.

The longitudinal location of the lugs i3 is such that a portion of the surface it will be below the upper end of the cam 6 when the closure 9 is loosely mounted on the container 1. Then, when the closure is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow Figf l, zthellugs it are cammed bythe undersu'rface l of the cams hand the top H! of the closure is drawn downwardly to compress the gasket i2 against the mouth 3-cf the container, thereby efiecting a sealwThus; the contents of the container are effectively retained therein. To assist the user in gripping and turning the closure, I provide thereon a-"s'enes ceeia cumferentially spaced ribs or ridges ili. ,1

The container I is preferably of such size and shape that it can be used as a tumbler orbeverage glass when its originaL contents have been rewmovedz iw 2* In Fig. 2 I have illustrated the manner iIlL1WhlCh thef-closure is utilized as a coaster and jacket for the container when the containers is: used as :a

'sm-Theclosure 9 is removed frorn'its position-over theimouth 3 of the container and, instead, is

inverted and placedoverthe bottom-Q of the con- -tainer,i=as shown. Due' to thetact-that the: cams B are vertically equidistant from lathe; top ands- --:b'ott'om. of the container I as'heretoforastated, th' ClOSllIE: in its :inverted' position willrpermit 'the 'lugs l4"to"engage=- the cams tipalthoughzin this instance the lugs are. cammed by the upper i surface 8 of the cams instead- 0f by the "under-r,

ori-leatherjackets-used with highball glasses. v

i-Any condensation which may 'formon the -"glass '11 Willi of course; be contained byithe 'closurer9,

and: skirt" l lwill assist -in insulating the oon- "tainerand'thereby maintain its contents either hot orrcold as thecase may be;-.Ihe skirtitself v wilr-not communicate the temperature of the the cover 9 thenitserves as a/ glass to the hand of thewuser and thus: Will -be comfortable-to the touch.- 1 1 r E y properly locating the cams -6. onthe; containen I; -I-;am able to utilize the closure 9 in eithenofthe two'positionsrillustrated in Figsr 1 A and. 2 and thus convert the-zcontainer into' ;a

: handsome drinking glass.- It' willbe obviousthat my invention will also find use fulnesswhenever liquids are t o -be transported and subsequently e seeeee e i ei eeeepei e intraveend of said container. P

' wardly-extending- :projections: on-utherwvall -closu're;.=:

In Fig. 5, I have shown a modification of my invention in which semi-spherical projections it are provided on the closure instead of the lugs B.

In Fig. 6 I have shown still another modification of the invention in which indents I! are formed in a closure made of metal, such as aluminum, these indents l7 serving the same function as the lugs I3 or the projections Hi.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention, herewith shown and described, are to beitaken asa preferred examplei'of the same, and that variouschanges in the shape/size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without The combination of a cylindrical container -having anopen end and a closed end, uniformly inclined camelements provided on said container in 'ci'rcumferntially spaced relationship, said canr elements being nominally equidistant from the ends of said container, portions of each of :rsaid cam elements extending =to-either side of the :equator of said container, anda closure ,for 1 said container having-portions thereof engageable with said cam elements to-releasably secure said closure to either the open end'or the closed 2. The combination of -.a-'cylindrical-container having-an open end and a closed end, a telescoping closure-for said container; and means for releasably securing said closure OVGfi-Sili hfilj-filfld of said container,- said ,;means' comprising uniformly' inclined cainming element's; circumferentially spaced on said-containerimmedian .relationship' to the ends thereof, said elements each having parallel cammi-ng surfaces; disposed-toward I opposite ends -:-or said container, and icooperating similarly.acircumferentiallyespaced insTEPHENs-NEWEL-m References Cited inlthe.filemfthiwpaitent: 

